Tags: 2011, Meeting, Monrovia Nursery, Nicholas Staddon, Season 2011-2012

The Malibu Garden Club was pleased to have Nicholas Staddon from Monrovia Growers at our October meeting.

We got a look behind the scene’s at Monrovia Nursery, learning how new plants are discovered, trialed, propagated and brought to market. We also got a first-hand look at the recycling methods used in today’s modern nursery. Nicholas guided us through the trends worldwide and in the United States, finishing his presentation with an array of stunning plants, new & not so new, suited for your garden. Nicholas also provided some Monrovia “Swag” for a raffle after the presentation.

Nicholas was born in Ipswich, England, which is filled with estates and country homes containing unusual plants, so he grew up with an appreciation of them. One of his early jobs was working as a steward on private yachts. One client, an American, owned Treeland, an independent nursery in Albuquerque, N.M. In 1984, Staddon accepted his offer to join the nursery staff as a salesman. Learning about the nursery business brought him contact with Monrovia, which offered him a job in sales. Finding new plants is challenging. Each year, Staddon and his staff evaluate hundreds of new plant varieties. Plants are observed for at least three years. Only a few make the grade, an estimated one of every 50. Those that make the grade are propagated by tissue culture, grafting or growing from seed. Young plants are put in containers and remain in Monrovia’s growing grounds for three to six years before they’re delivered to retail nurseries. If plants don’t pass muster, they and their offspring are destroyed.